Teeeitoey



(No- Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

D. J. MAGPHERSON.

ELECTRIC GAR BRAKE.

WITNESSES INVENTOR /6 g /y I BY ATTORNEYS.

(No-Model.) l 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

D. J.MAGPHERSON.

ELEGTRIG OAR BRAKE. No. 273,565. Patented Mar. 6,1883.

WITNESSES 2 INVENTOR @M 91 .m y mw w wr v BY M ATTORNEYS.

N PETERS. F'Ilolzrlilhogmphw Waifilngton. n c

U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID J MAOPHERSON, OF SIOUX FALLS, DAKOTA TERRITORY.

ELECTRIC CAR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters IPatent No. 273,565, dated March6, 1883.

' Application flied August 10, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it mayconcern Be it known that I, DAVID J. MACPHERSON, ofSioux Falls, Minnehaha county, Territory of Dakota, have invented a newand useful Improvement lll'ElGUtl'lU Oar-Brakes, of which the followingis a specification.

. This invention relates to the class of electric car-brakes in whichthe brakes are operated by a current of electricity under the control ofthe engineer; and the invention consists in a magne o or dynamo electricmachine placed on the locomotive and driven by steam furnished by thelocomotive-boiler, the dynamo being connected by suitable conductorswith.

electric motors under the cars arranged to operate the brakes, thewholebeing arranged so that by closing the circuit the brakes will beset and by breaking the circuit the brakes will be released.

It also consists in novel uncoupling devices, and in a combined electricswitch and steam valve or cock. J

In my improved system of electric car-brakes the force with which thecar-brakes are applied depends upon the velocity of the generator.

1n the accompanying drawings,-.Figure 1 is a plan view of a car havingmy improved brake applied. Fig. 2 shows the electric coupling inperspective. Fig. 3 shows the same in side elevation. Fig. 4 shows thesame partly in longitudinal section. Figs. 5 and 6 are modified forms ofthe coupler. Figs. 7 and 8 are respectively plan and sectional views ofthe combined stop-valve and electric switch. Fig. 9 is a transversesection of an electric conductor; and Fig. 10 is a diagram showing thearran gement of the generator, conductors, couplings, and motors. Fig.11 is a perspective view of the two set of couplers, showing theirrelative arrangement, with one set coupled.

In Fig.1. a b are the conducting-wires extending under the car A, andconnecting with the electric motor B, located conveniently under thecar. This motor is of any ordinary well-known construction, and theshaft 0 receives upon its ends the brake-chains cl, which are connectedwith the ordinary brakelevers of the car, so that when the shaft of theelectric motor is made to revolve by the passage of the electric currentthe chains are wound and the brakes are applied.

The wire a, in its passage from one end of the car to the other,includes the motor B; but

' E E are enlarged, orming two diamond-shaped heads, ff, with angularprojections g g on their adjacent surfaces. The bars E E are drawntoward each other by a coil-spring, h, placed between them and connectedwith both. This spring is capable ot'drawing the free ends of the bars EE .into electrical contact. The pivoted ends of the bars E E areconnected with the two halves of the double conductingcord F. Thisdouble cord extends through the timbers of the car, and connects withthe wire a b of the part D, as hereinafter described.

The fixed portion D of the coupling consists of two parts, G G, eachcomposed of two jaws, it, hinged together at and pressed'toward eachother by the springk, mounted on the don ble wedge l, the latter beingattached to the lower jaws, i, of the parts G G. The ends of the spring10 bear upon insulators resting on armsm m, projecting horizontally fromthe outer sides of the jaws 2'. Below the arms at m there arecontact-pieces n n, connecting with the wires 0 b. The jaws i t arerecessed to receive the enlarged ends of the bars E E of the part G. Thewedge l, attached to the jaws i of the fixed portion of the coupling, iseither made entirely of insulating material or cornposed of two wedges,0, separated by a plate, P, of insulating material, as in the drawings.

The part D of the coupling is placed at one side of the car-coupling, oneach end of the car, so that the two parts D will be arranged diagonallyopposite in relation to each other on the same car, andthe part D of thecouplings of adjacent cars will bear the same relation to each other.The receiving part D of the coupling'is inclosed in a covering or box,and its wires on I) are connected with the wires a b that extend throughthe car, while the wires a b" pass around the coupling under the car orits platform, and are connected at the opposite side of the couplingwith the double flexible conductor F, connected with the part (3 of thecoupling.

It will thus be seen that each end of each car is provided with onereceiving-coupling D and one double flexible conductor, with the couplerattached to its free end, adapted to enter the part D of the coupling onthe adjacent car. If the parts 0 of one car be conneeted with the part Dof the adjacent car, as shown in Fig. 11, the arms in m will be raisedfrom the contact pieces an, and D will be disconnected from 0 of its owncar, and the jaws of 0 being entirely insulated from each other wheninserted in D by its links e and the wedges 0 of the part I), thecurrent will pass from D to (land from G to the contact-pieces n itunder the arms in m of the part D of its own car, and the arms at mbeingin contact with the contact-pieces an, the current is conductedthrough D and the connecting-wires a I) to the end of the car, and so onthroughout the entire train. Either setot' the couplers may be used; butboth sets are not to be used at the same time, for, since, when the part0 is entered into the part D, the connection between the two parts (J Dof the couplers of one car is broken, the same result would follow ifthe other set of couplers be used at the same time, and therefore itwould result in leaving the circuit open.

When the cars are separated the parts E E of the couplers G are drawntogether by the spring h, bringing their outer ends into contact,completing the electric circuit at that point. The tixed part D of thecoupling completes the circuit through the wires a b by contact of thearm at with the contact-piece n. In like manner the circuit is completethrough a b by contact of the arm m with the contactpiece it.

The locomotive is equipped with conductors and with couplings in thesame manner as the cars; but instead of a motor, as in the case of thecars, it has an electric generator, H, Fig. 10.

To couple a car to the engine or to couple one car to another, thecoupler O is pushed into the fixed part D of the coupling so that theinsulating-wedge l separates the bars E E, and the enlarged ends of thebars E E raise thejaws it and lift the arms at m from the contact-piecesn a. The circuit is now through the conductors ab, throughout the train,and through the bars E E and jaws 'i i.

For convenience in handling the coupler O, I have placed over it ahollow handle, 1, as shown in Fig. 4, and I have made the doubleflexible coupling-conductor in semi-cylindrical halves, each composed ofa number of wires and all inclosed in a-fiexible insulating-cover,r.

Between the engine employed in driving the dynamo or magneto machine andthe boiler of the locomotive I place the steam-cock J, which is of theordinary construction. To the plug 8 or to the lever t of this cock Isecure a metallic spring switch-arm, a, which is capable of touching thecurved contact-piece '0 when the lever t is turned in the operation ofopening the valve to admit a supply of steam to the engine driving theelectric generator. Sufficient steam is always allowed to pass to thisengine through a passage (not shown) to keep it in continuous but notrapid motion.

When the lever t is turned to supply the steam-engine with suflicientsteam to operate the dynamo, the switch-arm it comes into contact withthe curved contact-piecev and remains in contact with it during anyfurther forward motion of the lever t, whereby the circuit is closed andthe brakes applied. ,As before stated, sufficient steam being admittedto the dynamo to keep it in motion when the main supply of steam is cutoff, it follows that if the switch-arm were in contact with thecontact-piece at all times the circuit would be always closed, andconsequently the brakes applied slightly during that time and hence theswitch-arm should only be in contact with the contact-piece when it isdesired to apply the brakes. By means of this cook the locomotiveengineer may control the brakes perfectly, their power depending uponthe velocity of the dynamo. The couplings complete the electric circuitsof the respective cars automatically when the cars are separated, sothat the apparatus requires no attention after coupling.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have shown two forms of curved spring that may beused in place of the spring h in the parts G of the coupling.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A double electrical conductor composed of twosemi-cylindrical halves, each composed ofanumber of strands insulatedfrom each other and inclosed in an insulating-casing, as. hereinspecified.

2. The pivoted bars E E, having enlarged endsff,and the spring h, incombination with the jaws i 6, spring k, and wedge l, as specifled.

3. In an electric coupling, the combination of the jaws t t", spring k,arms at m, and contact-piecesn n, as herein specified. I

4. In an electrical car-brake, the combination, with the electricalgenerator and steampipe leading thereto from the locomotive-boiler, ofthe cock adapted to admita small quantity of steam to the saidgenera-tor when the main supply is cut off, the lever t,'provided withthe switch-arm u, and the contact-piece v, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

5. In a system of electric car-brakes, the combination of the conductorsa b a b, coupling C D, and double flexible conductor F, as specified.

6. in a system ot'electric brakes, one or more motors, B, the conductorsa b a, b, contactpieces m m n n, electric couplings O D, and an electricgenerator, as herein specified.

DAVID J. MAOPHERSON.

Witnesses:

THOMPSON RITCHIE, O. D. BROWN.

